Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2002 Mercury Cougar
NHTSA data on file today
The 2002 Mercury Cougar has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 94 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #08E033000 AFTERMARKET BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #06E022000 BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #04V421000 FORD/FUEL DELIVERY MODULE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Fuel System, Gasoline 41 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 11 complaints
- Power Train 10 complaints
- Engine 9 complaints
- Air Bags 7 complaints
- Visibility 6 complaints
Of the 94 complaints on file, 9 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 94 complaints, owners report 12 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $4,000–$10,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2002 Mercury Cougar has a below-average reliability rating due to high complaints about the fuel system and multiple recall campaigns affecting critical systems. However, the data, based mainly on owner complaints and a few recalls, is relatively limited and may not fully reflect all potential issues.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | very common |
| Engine | Unknown | $1,000–$3,500 | common |
| Power train | Unknown | $800–$3,000 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake system checks
- Transmission fluid replacement
- Coolant system flush
- Tire rotation and alignment
- Air filter replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Fuel delivery issues
- Engine overheating
- Transmission slipping
- Brake performance issues
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2002 Mercury Cougar at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.